WORLD BRIEFING / SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress declared victory in a general election that will make party leader Jacob Zuma president.
With the African National Congress holding 66.03% of the vote with almost all the ballots counted, it was just short of keeping the two-thirds majority it needs to change the constitution at will.
“The ANC has been given a clear and resounding mandate,” senior party official Matthews Phosa told supporters at a victory party in Johannesburg.
The ANC had less than the nearly 70% of the vote it won in 2004 and appears to have lost control of the Western Cape province, center of the tourist industry.
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